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Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Associate Degree Schools in Pennsylvania

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2023 Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Associate Degree Schools in Pennsylvania

Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

22 Colleges
$15,676 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$24,682 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Associate Degree School for You

In 2020-2021, liberal arts general studies students earned 3,589 degrees and certificates from a Pennsylvania school, making the subject the 9th in the state.

There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Associate Degree Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. This report analyzed 22 schools in Pennsylvania to see which ones offered the best value associate degree programs for liberal arts students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.

This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.

For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.

2023 Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Associate Degree Schools in Pennsylvania

Check out the liberal arts associate degree programs at these schools if you want to get the best value for your educational dollar.

Top 10 Best Liberal Arts General Studies Associate Degree Schools

Our analysis found Harrisburg Area Community College to be the best value school for liberal arts general studies students who want to pursue a associate degree in Pennsylvania. HACC is a large public school located in the city of Harrisburg.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at HACC are $8,295 per year. The average amount in student loans that liberal arts majors at HACC take out while working on their Associate Degree is $22,035.

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The excellent associate degree programs at Bucks County Community College helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best value liberal arts general studies schools in Pennsylvania. Bucks County Community College is a medium-sized public school located in the rural area of Newtown.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Bucks County Community College are $9,098 a year. On average, liberal arts graduates from Bucks County Community College take out $12,411 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Bucks County Community College

#3

Lehigh Carbon Community College

Schnecksville, PA

Out of the 22 schools in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, Lehigh Carbon Community College landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the suburb of Schnecksville, LCCC is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at LCCC are $8,430 a year. While working on their Associate Degree, liberal arts majors at LCCC accumulate an average of around $12,882 in student debt.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Lehigh Carbon Community College

Out of the 22 schools in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, Community College of Allegheny County landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the large city of Pittsburgh, CCAC is a public college with a large student population.

CCAC undergraduate students pay an average of $8,323 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that liberal arts majors at CCAC take out while working on their Associate Degree is $17,420.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Community College of Allegheny County

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Montgomery County Community College. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Associate Degree Schools in Pennsylvania list. Located in the suburb of Blue Bell, Montco is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

Montco undergraduate students pay an average of $10,350 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Liberal Arts majors at Montco take out an average of $15,459 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Montgomery County Community College Report

With a ranking of #6, Clarion University of Pennsylvania did quite well on this year’s best value schools for liberal arts general studies students working on their associate degree. Clarion University is a small public school located in the remote town of Clarion.

Clarion University undergraduate students pay an average of $11,173 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their Associate Degree, liberal arts graduates from Clarion University carry an average student debtload of $24,450.

Clarion University also took the #5 spot in our Best Liberal Arts General Studies Associate Degree Schools in Pennsylvania rankings.

Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Clarion University of Pennsylvania Report

California University of Pennsylvania ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Associate Degree Schools in Pennsylvania list. Cal U is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of California.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Cal U are $11,108 per year. On average, liberal arts graduates from Cal U take out $28,949 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $169, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

In addition to its great value ranking, Cal U is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Liberal Arts General Studies Associate Degree Schools in Pennsylvania list.

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Community College of Beaver County came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Associate Degree Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Located in the large suburb of Monaca, CCBC is a public school with a small student population.

CCBC undergraduate students pay an average of $12,810 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their Associate Degree, liberal arts majors at CCBC accumulate an average of around $18,366 in student debt.

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Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree liberal arts general studies programs. IUP is a medium-sized public school located in the distant town of Indiana.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at IUP are $13,144 a year.

In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, IUP is ranked #3 for overall quality for liberal arts in Pennsylvania.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus

Delaware County Community College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Associate Degree Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Located in the large suburb of Media, Delaware County Community College is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

Delaware County Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $9,900 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, liberal arts graduates from Delaware County Community College take out $19,241 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Delaware County Community College

Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region

Explore all the Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
New York 19,150
Maryland 9,515
New Jersey 9,619
District of Columbia 145
Delaware 649

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 22 schools only.

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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